Remember how much fun you had playing pretend as a kid? It was so freeing to slip into different roles, imagine yourself into fantastic worlds, and make up stories based on your favorite books, drawings, or even songs. Those same activities that come to us so easily...

It might seem counterintuitive to emphasize the past to those with memory disorders, but Alzheimer’s and dementia patients often do best when surrounded with mementos and reminders of things that are familiar. Family photos, heirlooms, and comfort objects like a...